Docs present memorandum to Sampla

Our Correspondent

Phagwara, January 8

Doctors belonging to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Phagwara, headed by its president, Dr Rajan, and former state president Dr SPS Sooch, submitted a memorandum to Vijay Sampla, Union Minister of State, against the proposed National Medical Commission Bill here today.

Dr Mamta Gautam, secretary, IMA, Phagwara; Dr Anoop, Dr Vijay Sharma and Dr JS Virk were also present on the occasion.

They said the proposed Bill had the provisions to allow ayurvedic and homeopathy doctors to practise allopathy after completing a six-month course, thus bringing them on a par with the MBBS Doctors.

They said as per the provisions of the Bill, the MBBS doctors will have to clear another exam for getting a licence for practice.

They said the Bill would create a totally government-nominated body called the NMC which would replace the democratically-elected Medical Council of India.

They said the states would have negligible say in the functioning of this regulatory body, while health was a state subject and the needs of various states were different from each other.

They expressed their apprehension that the Bill would increase corruption in medical education and raise the cost of medical education high.

Dr Rajan said the IMA would be forced to intensify the agitation, if the Government did not consider the demands of the IMA.

It had appealed to the Prime Minister to revise it in the larger interest of the medical profession.

He said the NMC would cripple the functioning of the medical profession by making it completely answerable to the bureaucracy and non-medical administrators.